Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-06
An Important and Interesting Interna-
tional Episode.

by Cuppl-e and Hurd, of Boston. 1t is a
Il mo. Of ~ pages, finely illustrated. and
i the clear presentation of the life. char
acter. and services Of one whom patriotic
Americans wish 10 remember. The fol-
lowing taken from it, pages may De Of
special interest at this time, when the i'm
portant question Of the Fisheries il before
the English and American Commissioners
at Washington.
\ lively episode in international politics
occurred in July, 1852. which Perry was
called upon 70 settle. New England was
conyulsed over the seizure Of American fish
ing vessels BY British cruisers. Congress
being still in session, the opposition were not
slow 10 denounce the administration.
Mr. Fillmor. invited Mr. John F. Kennedy
Of 'Swaliow Barn" literary fame to succeed
MFR. Graham as Secretary Of the Navy Mr.
Kennedy took hi. seat IN the cabinet july
24th. The excitement over the fishery ques-
ton was then at fever heat Mutierings of
var we're already heard in the newspapers.
Employment for the Mexican veterans seemed
promising.
The cabinet decided that the new Secre-
tary should give the Law, and that Perry
should execute it. Mr.. Kennedy. who wisely
saw Perry first. proceeded to draft the letter
on the night Of July 2sth his studies resulted
in brilliant State paper, which occupies
seven folio pages IN the Book Of Confidential
Letters. and then retired to rest. Naturally
his maiden effort diplomacy tried hi, nerves.
His broken sleep VAS disturbed with dreams
Of Goldfish and the shades of Lord Aberdeen
I'll morning.
~ Il
sea-ractr the Mi.si>sippi Captain Mckinney
Perry left New York July 3lst, 1882, stop
ping at Passport. Maine to get fresh inf0rma-
tim. There much irritation felt by
British residents at the alleged depreciation.
of American fishermen, who instead of buy
ing their Zee bait fuel and other supplies
were sometime. tempted TO make raids ON the
shores of the islands. One excited person
wrote to the admiral of the feet;
For Gods sake send a man-of-war here,
for the Americans are masters Of the place
100 sail are now lying in tire harbor. They
have stolen my fire-wood and burnt it on the
beach They had also set fire to the woods
and committed other spoliations. Collisions
with the British cruisers were imminent, and
acts easily leading to war were feared by the
cabinet
Perry proceeded to Halifax. He traversed
the coast of Cape Breton Island. around
Maglalcn, and along the north shore of
Prince Edwards Island, visiting the resorts
of the Yankee fishermen, and passing large
fleets of our vesscls He found by expert
encr and was satisfied. that there had been
repeated infractions of treaty, for which
seven seizures had been made by British
cruisers then in command of Admiral Sey-
mour The question, at this issue, concern
the rights of Americans fishing in Canadian
waters was one of geographical science
rather than OF diplomacy 1t rested upon the
answer given To this What are bays" The
last convention between the two countries had
been made in ISIS, when the uitcd States
renowned her right to fish within three miles
of any of the coasts, bays and harbors of
Canada. after a number of American vessels
had been seized and prosecuted in the court
at Halifax. WAS this treaty made. Including
those capturcd. for viulatin. the convention of
l.lS the number was sixty in all. The
British said to Perry that the Americans had
no right to take fSh within three marine miles
of the shore of Il British province. or within
three miles of a line drawn from hcadland 10
headland acros. BAYS. Canadians in Amer-
can bottoms were especially expert in eyai-
ing this law.
i1tcllgvnt and understood the treaty but he
thought that the Canadian government was
too severe upon them About $500 YES
sols and 27.5G0 men from our ports
took part in the hazardous occupation, thus
furnishing" said the commodore, "a nursery
for scamen. of ncstjmable advantage to the
maritime interests of the nation" Added to
the force employed in whaling in the North
Atlantic. there were thirty thousand men.
mostly native Americans whose business was
with salt water h>h and mammals At one
point he saw fleet of five hundred sail Of
makerul fishers
This diplomatic voyag" revealed both the
dangers and patho> of tn" sailor tishcrmcns
life. No class of men engaged in any indus
Try are subjected to such >ufferngs prva-
tious and perils Their own name for the
fishing grounds is The Graveyard"
The commercial and naval success of this
country is largely the result of the enterprise
aud scamauship shown in the whaling fisher
les These nurseries of the American navy
had enabled the uitcd States in two wars to
achieve 50 many triumphs on the seas over
Great Britain. BY the same agencies, Perry
hoped to see his country become the greatest
commercial rival of Great Britain. This
could be done by looking 10 the quality of
the common sailor. AMI maintaining the stand
ard of 1872 For such reasons if for no
others the fisheries should be encouraged.
Perry came to adjust amicahly the res
prctivo nights of both British and American
,camen. lie warned his countrymcn against
encroaching upon the limits prescribed by
the convention of 1878, but at the same time
he would protect American vessel, from viS-
tation or interference at points left in doubt
His mission had happy contamination. The
wholesome effect of the MisssSippis visit
paved the way for the reciprocity treaty be-
tween Canada and the United States nego-
tiatcd at Washington soon after by Sir Am
hro,c Shea and signed June 9TH, 1854. The
entrance of Mr. Kennedy in the cabinet was
thus made both successful aud brilliant bv
Commodore Perry. The hiatus secretary "
hridged the gulf of war with the firm arch of
peace. The reciprocity treaty lasted twelve
years, when the irreprcSsihc root of bitter
ness again sproutrl. Despite diplomacy
correspondence, treaties aud Joint High Com
missions, still, at this writing. in 1881 it
veXe> the peace of two nations. The axe is
not vet laid at the root of the trouble
The official count of the votes east for
state officers in Ohio makes Governor